Livable Cities Program INDIA FINAL NARRATIVE REPORT April 2017- March 2018 prepared by ESAF India April 2018 Annual Report, India 2017 - 2018 Name of the project: Livable Cities program Name of the partner: ESAF India Period : April 2017- March 2018 Narrative Summary Be it for a stroll in the neighbourhood or for the daily commute, having adequate built environment facilities encourages people to be physically active and choose to be healthy. Insufficient physical activities are one of the leading risk factors for death worldwide and for Non Communicable Diseases such as Cardio Vascular, diabetes and cancer. The intensity is such that nearly 61% of deaths in India are now attributed to NCDs, which is highly alarming. This trend can be reversed to a large extent if the cities focus on the built environment that could encourage people to be physically active. ESAF has been promoting the concept of liveability in seven cities since 2008 with the vision that “We want happy and healthy children and families in every neighborhood who have safe streets, free access to parks, playgrounds, open space and fun places to play around”. The progress we have made so far is promising, be it through the sustainable transport programs or with the public space programs. This year, we added 2 new cities in Kerala (Calicut & Trivandrum) to explore further on the strategies that could be replicated to any city. Our strategies of research, policy development, community engagement and capacity building have proven the right one for adding more stakeholders into the system who can work on these issues. The programs are Public Space Program, Healthy Transportation, Active and Safe Route to School Program (ASRTS), Urban Farming, and Gender and Mobility in 7 cities (Bangalore, Calicut, Kochi, Malappuram, Nagpur, Thrissur, and Trivandrum). These programs will enable to achieve the vision leading to Decreased morbidity and mortality due to injury and chronic diseases Increased social interaction and community cohesion Decreased emissions of air pollutants leading to poor air quality and climate change ESAF with its expertise and a nearly decade of experience, are contributing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – 3 (Good health and well being), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and indirectly to goal 13 (Climate Action). Major Achievement of the year 2017 -2018 General Achievements: 1. Two cities’ program got selected for the UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Program under Small Grant. This project will be first of its kind where public spaces are redesigned in an inclusive manner ensuring to be accessible and barrier free. Once completion, this will be the first of its kind in India 2. ESAF Malappuram got selected as the Standing Committee Member – Development 3. ESAF Malappuram got an office space in Municipality office where working with government and elected officials will be made easier 4. ESAF Malappuram staff got deputed as Associate in Department of Town Planning for the City Master Plan Development 5. Play Conference, 2017 published ESAF’s activities in their manual which is a compilation of NGO’s working to promote play Public Space Program 1. Report on Dustbin mapping submitted to the Suchitwa Mission led to addition of 9 new dust bins in a public space (Kottakunnu Park, Malappuram). 2. ESAF’s assistance was sought to do pubic space mapping in 2 cities1 to plan for the public space development under AMRUT Scheme. ESAF made presentation to the Mayor and City Councils where they have unanimously agreed for adding inclusive designs. The delay in AMRUT budget approval has led the city Corporation to sanction fund of Rs. 4.2 Million to redesign two of the non functional parks in the city 3. Beach for All campaign was successful in sensitizing government and elected officials leading to allocation of Rs. 20.5 Million for sensory integrated footpaths. 10 cents of land were allocated by the District Collector for developing Inclusive Play Space for children of a school in Malappuram2. 4. We continue to have support from Nagpur Municipal Corporation in promoting inclusive play spaces and sensitized Nagpur Improvement Trust also to add inclusive elements in their parks. Currently 1 park is nearing completion. Since we started work on 2009, the city has 3 parks with inclusive designs. 5. Capacity of elected members are built in Kochi to advocate for Accessible and barrier free beaches which led to the Munambam Muziris Beach proposal to UN-Habitat 6. Ansari Park in Calicut got selected under UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Development project 7. Corporation Council has approved Bye Law developed for Cultural Village and approved for financial allocation 8. District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) sanctioned Rs. 10 Million for development of 1 beach in Trichur 9. Recommendations derived from the Women’s Parliament conducted by ESAF in association with Municipality of Malappuram led to budget allocation of Rs. 1.2 Million for ‘She Stay3’ and the place is under development. This lodge/hostel will ensure the safety of women who are in transit in the city at an affordable rate 10. 1 new Walking Club was introduced making the total number to 5 in Nagpur. 1 Calicut and Thrissur 2 BUDS 3 SHE Stay- 11. Capacity of the media personnel were built to engage them with various issues with regard to public space to be highlighted in the media. We received 35 print media instances and 7 visual media coverage Healthy Transportation 1. 2 Walkability studies completed in 2 cities4 and organized 2 dissemination seminars5. Reports submitted to the concerned city have shown positive responses 2. Organized 7 open street events in 5 cities wherein, post event the community advocated for better pedestrian infrastructure and safe school zone area 3. Observed 7 road safety week events in 4 cities leading the Department of Traffic to seek our assistance in developing Road Safety manual to be distributed for new drivers and in educational institutions 4. Organized 93 Cycle Days as BCOS which received 186 media instances 5. ESAF has built the capacity of 8 new community partners to organize Cycle Day 6. ESAF was asked to give a presentation to the Microsoft, one of the leading IT companies in the city on sustainable transport initiatives 7. ESAF was recommended as an expert in organizing Bicycle Mayor Program in Bangalore by Directorate of Urban Land Transport to a Dutch organization called BYCS, nodal agency who promotes 50by30! 8. Media personnel were sensitized to highlight the issues and promote sustainable transport and received 273 print media instances and 6 visual medias Active and Safe Route to School Program (ASRTS) 1. 57 schools were selected out of 90 for the bicycle Infrastructure Program which was approved by Directorate of Urban Land Transport 2. ESAF was asked to take care of urban farming practices started by the Municipality in educational institutions in Trichur 3. ESAF’s introduced urban farming and herbal garden practices in educational institutions which got featured in World Urban Forum – The City We need Campaign. ESAF has started 7 herbal gardens, 9 organic farming and 1 Butterfly Park in 17 schools in 4 Panchayats and 1 Corporation area. 4. 19 new iWalk clubs were formed and these students will be monitoring the urban farming practices in the schools 5. A case study of Urban farming practices in educational institutions was submitted for Smart City Award under Academic programs - http://www.worldurbancampaign.org/esaf-urban-agriculture-safe-accessible-and- affordable-food 4 Kochi and Calicut 5 Kochi and Nagpur 6. Memorandum submitted by the iWalk club students in 4 schools, 2 schools got traffic calming measures from the city administration 7. A 13-member Executive Committee was constituted to monitor the timely progress of the project, Samrrudhi 6 the city of Trichur, ESAF is one of the member in the Executive Committee constituted by Department of Education, Trichur, Kerala. 6 Samruddhi PUBLIC SPACE PROGRAM RESEARCH Immediate Outcome Indicators Activity Indicators City Wise Details Bglr Kochi MLPM NGP Calicut TCR Increased Increased # of activity audits 1 dust bin mapping 1 understanding among understanding of the done ESAF LC staff on the quality of the parks quality of the parks Increased Increased # of policy reviews 1 policy review 1 understanding of understanding among # of citizen surveys/ 1 public space mapping 1 the park policy ESAF LC staff of: focus group of 1 city (11 parks) environment the park policy discussions/ activity 1 desk top research on 1 (budget, political environment audits public spaces in Calicut mapping, general park usage by # of desk top research 11 parks mapped (5 11 policies etc) citizens reviews to identify parks selected under Increased the quality and quantity and location AMRUT and 6 general understanding of quantity of parks of parks parks in the city park usage by # of parks quality 11 quality audits 11 citizens audits 11 activity audits 11 Increased # of parks activity 7 18 meetings with 18 understanding of audits multi stakeholders to the quality and # of perception surveys understand the quantity of the with citizens perception parks POLICY DEVELOPMENT 7 2 NGOs, 6 local leaders, 48 community members, 1 Chairman Town Planning Standing Committee Increased number of # of policies that # of meetings held with 3 meetings with Clean 3 policies that allocate allocate appropriate the government India Mission appropriate budget for budget for parks/ officials 71 meetings with the 71 parks/ Beaches